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Back to School Series – Part 4 – Ask Holly – New Computer

Saturday, August 7th, 2010

Dear Holly,

My child is returning to school/starting university soon and needs a new computer for his/her work. What type of computer do you recommend we get them? And what programs should we buy to go with it?

Holly says:

We often get asked to recommend a computer for a new semester, but there are so many options we thought it would be good to give this general “recommedation” in this installment.

Type

The first question we get asked is what type to get.  We don’t mean brand, we mean either a desktop computer or a laptop.  Lots of people think laptops are the answer as they are mobile but we disagree in most cases.  In our experience (even with business users) most “mobile” users are far from it and usually have a laptop on their desk and never move it.

A desktop computer with similar specifications to a laptop is usually a lot cheaper, is less prone to problems (mainly because they can stay a lot cooler than a laptop) and are easier and cheaper to upgrade and remain current.

If you do need a laptop, we would still recommend going for a business class laptop than a “home” user one from the retail stores.  This is because the estimated life span of the two are greatly different and so the quality of components are not as good.  For example, most laptops look the same black plastic – but the business ones usually have a metal frame inside them to prevent damage when moved.  The hard drives and components (and usually the warranty) for a business laptop are designed to last at least 3 years, whereas a home laptop is usually designed to last a year.  So although they are more expensive, a business laptop is designed to last a lot longer.  A desktop has similar warranties but due to the few times they are moved they tend to last a lot longer (4 – 6 years).

Hardware

The main concerns for the student when it comes to the new computer is speed, storage and screen.  Firstly we would like to recommend that you do not buy a computer to play games on.  We are great believers for the right tools for the right job.  A computer is not for games – XBOX, Playstation etc. are for games and do a great job.

The two main factors affecting speed in a computer is the processor and memory.  A dual core processor will be faster than a single core.  The more memory the better.  Nowadays 2Gb is probably the minimum you would want and 4Gb would be good to last 3 or 4 years.  As strange as it may seem 2x 2Gb is faster than 1x 4Gb.  This is because they sit on “channel” and so the computer can split the work across two devices at the same time.

When it comes to storage – the more the better.  500Gb, 750Gb disks are relatively inexpensive.  You can always add to your storage with more disks, bigger disks or external disks if you want.

System

The biggest question we always get asked is should I get a Mac or a PC?  And our normal response for students is sometimes “Neither”.  Why?  Because there is a little known free system called Ubuntu that often is sufficient for a lot of people.  When we ask what the computer will be used for, most say “Email, the internet and school work – documents and presentations”.  Ubuntu does all of this built in.  It is a Linux based system with Firefox as the web browser and OpenOffice (remember our second installment) for the coursework.

For those who need more than this then it is a choice between a Mac and a Windows PC.  They both have pros and cons.  Don’t believe all the hype by either side.  A Mac will cost you more money for the same thing.  A Windows PC will often be harder to use and keep updated (this is the compromise – either let Mac do everything and control everything for you or let it be more open such as Windows, which means you lose control over what people are able to send to you).

A word of warning.  A Mac can get a virus.  Don’t be fooled by the ads and hype.  Although not targeted as much (yet) it can and has had viruses.  So please don’t get complacent and think you are safe from all viruses – buy an antivirus for Mac.

The other point to note is you have to have a program specially written for the operating system.  So you cannot use normal Microsoft Office on a Mac you have to use the Mac version.  This means that not every program has been written to use both systems so it will pay to check if there are any special programs you will need for your coursework before making your choice.

If there are no special programs needed or the programs are available on both systems, and there are no preference from the school or university course then it really is your choice.  Go to a store and try both types and see which you prefer.  The type and hardware recommendations above apply to both Mac’s and Windows PC’s alike.

Remember, once you have your new computer, you want to keep it updated and working correctly.  In which case you may be interested in our HomePak™ or CollegePak™

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Back to School Series – Part 3 – Docs/Office Webapps

Saturday, August 7th, 2010

In this third installment in our “Back to School” series we look at online storage and sharing of Microsoft Office documents.  Recently Microsoft have launched two sites where users can create, store and optionally share Microsoft documents for free.

Docs

http://docs.com allows Facebook users to create Word, Excel or PowerPoint documents online without having any of these programs. The advantage to this, other than no need to buy Microsoft Office, is that the documents are also stored online and so are secure. If your computer crashes you can still get to the document.  Also as it is online you can get to your document from anywhere you can access a computer and get onto the internet.

Once you create your document you can choose to share it with some or all of your facebook friends or you can choose “Everyone” which is everyone on Docs. You can also choose to allow some or all of your friends to be able to edit the document also.

Docs is still in its early stages and so is still missing some features. There is also a long waiting list to join (it took us about 4 weeks to be accepted) but be patient.

Office Web Apps

http://office.live.com was launched with Microsoft Office 2010. Much like Docs it also allows users to create Office documents (in this case Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote) online without having to purchase the programs.  You do not use your Facebook account for Web Apps, instead you use your Windows Live ID (same as you would use for Hotmail, live mail, messenger etc.).  If you do not have one then it is free and easy to sign up for a Live ID.

Again, like the Docs site, your documents are stored on the site and not on your computer, allowing you access from any computer and also ensures they are safe if something should happen to your computer. Also, like Docs, you can choose to share certain documents with people, either your Live friends (from Messenger etc.) or by simply typing in an email address.  You can even create folders and share the whole folder with people.

In summary we think this is a great step by Microsoft.  We like and use both versions so we can share with different people.  Both sites have their pros and cons and both are in their infancy, so some patience is needed.  But these two coupled with OpenOffice should meet the needs of just about every student.

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Posted in Back to School, Best Practices, Microsoft, Social Networking, Software | 1 Comment »

Back to School Series – Part 2 – OpenOffice

Friday, August 6th, 2010

This is the second installment in our “Back to School” series.  The first installment was on Microsoft Office, in which we mentioned the two versions – Home and Student ($149.99) and Office Professional Academic for university students ($79.99).

Our feature suite of programs in this installment are FREE!  No there is no catch.  They are free.  The suite is OpenOffice and can be downloaded from www.openoffice.org.  Open Office was developed by Sun (now owned by Oracle – both big Microsoft competitors in their own right).

Edition

Open Office comes in 1 edition and has the following programs in it:

Write

This is the word processing program and does many things that Microsoft Word does and some things better.  Open Office can also open Microsoft Word documents (.doc, .docx) and save a document as a Microsoft Word document (.doc). You can also quickly and easily publish your document as a PDF file for read only viewing and distribution to those without OpenOffice or Microsoft Office.

Calc

This is the spreadsheet program and does most of the same functions as Microsoft Excel. Similar to Write, Calc can open Microsoft Excel documents (.xls, .xlsx) and save documents into Microsoft Excel format (.xls). Again an easy publish to PDF can also be performed.

Impress

Impress is the equivalent of Microsoft PowerPoint and creates outstanding presentations.  You can also create 2D and 3D drawings and share them not only via PDF but also HTML and Flash for websites and similar applications.

Draw

If you need a drawing and publishing program, similar to Microsoft Publisher, the Draw is the program for you. You can create simple drawings to complex plans, flowcharts, photorealistic images and much more.

Base

We are not sure how they came up with the name for this one. Unlike the other programs in the suite this is not intuitively named, however it is easy to use.  Base is the database program, similar to Microsoft Access. With Base you can create your own database or link to another one and create forms for input and reports for viewing results.

Other Information

As you can see, OpenOffice has the same programs as Microsoft Office but for no cost.  You can also open most Microsoft Office documents and save your documents in Microsoft Office formats.  You can also have both suites installed on your computer and they will not interfere with each other (we do this in the office).

All in all we feel that most students’ needs will be met with OpenOffice, but try it for yourself and if it doesn’t meet your needs then you can decide to upgrade to Microsoft Office and have not wasted any money.

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Backup and Cloud Storage

Wednesday, July 28th, 2010

Earlier in the month we wrote a blog about getting a new computer or fixing your old one if it breaks.  We mentioned the fact that you should back up your precious files and pictures so it is easier to move them and so you don’t lose them if something on your computer breaks.

We received a lot of questions from people about how they can do that and whether they should back up their home computers.  So we decided to write a blog about it, to let everyone know their options.

While most people think Backups and Cloud storage are for businesses, we also think that home users should use these for their own files too.  The solutions we cover here are really not meant for businesses, so if you are interested in solutions for your business then please contact us and we will be glad to help.  Even small businesses on a tight budget have greater needs than most home users and so we have plans to help you.

What is Cloud Storage and How Does it Differ From Backups?

A backup is a copy of the original file kept in a different location (preferably not on the same computer), which is sometimes compressed to save space.  The backup can then be (expanded and) restored to the original location or another location if something should happen to the original file (deleted, disk or computer broken or stolen, virus attack etc.).

Cloud Storage is using the internet to store your files, which is the same as storing them on someone elses computer.  An example of cloud storage is when you upload your pictures to flickr or Facebook.  There is now a copy on their computers and they back them up.  So if you do lose it on yours then you can get it back from them (though it may be a reduced size in this example).

How Do I Use Them and How Much Does It Cost?

Costs vary, but they start from FREE (we like that word!).

Lets start with backup.  Most computers have some sort of back up program built in.  You click it, start the wizard, tell it what you want to back up and how often (e.g. nightly) and where to store it and as long as your computer is on it will back them up.  We suggest you have a large enough second drive to hold your backups and keep a few (usually a weeks worth).  A portable hard drive is fairly inexpensive (less than $100) to hold all your data, or you may be able to share it with one or two computers in the house.  If you don’t have one then we suggest a USB stick (they can be 32Gb and getting bigger) and either copy the files over or use the backup program.

The reason we say another drive is so that if your computer breaks, is stolen or gets a virus then you have the files somewhere else where they can be recovered.  There is nothing more disheartening than us explaining to a customer that we cannot recover their family photos when a drive fails and they didn’t have them backed up.  Those moments in time are lost forever.

Another way is using online backups.  There are many companies including ourselves who provide this service for a small monthly fee.  This time you download their small backup program, configure it in much the same way (files, how often etc.) but this time you have to be connected to the internet and they send it to their servers for storage.  This is backup and cloud storage in one.  Now your files will be safe even if a disaster struck your home.

A word of warning about some of these company’s advertising.  When they tell you they have unlimited backups or storage, don’t get overexcited.  You can only upload so much data at a time over the internet.  Gigabytes of data takes days of non-stop sending from your computer and the next backup cannot start until that one finishes.  So take a step back and have it explained to you properly and don’t choose one company over another for unlimited data only.  It is just a marketing ploy.

The downside of these backups is they are only  backing up your file and not your full disk.  This usually makes little difference to the home user (but is critical for business use) but it means that if your computer fails and you have to replace or fix it and start again you will have to install Windows, all your programs, the online backup program if you used it and then restore your files – which can take a long time and then not be guaranteed to work.

There is another type of backup that takes an image of your disk and backs that up, meaning the full system.  It works in a similar way to the other backups but it is doing everything and not just the files.  Then your whole system can be restored including Windows, your programs, your desktop, favorites and everything else in one click.  We provide this type of backup for home users starting at $10 per month.

Whichever type of system you use you should always periodically check the state of the backups and do a temporary restore to make sure the file will work.  The number of backups we have seen that were never tested until they were actually needed only to find out there was a corruption and everything was lost is staggering.  All for the sake of a few minutes to check.  With the free backups on your computer it is hard to check.  With these online programs it should be easier.

With our system, because we image the whole disk we can perform two checks. First we can open the whole backup as another drive (e.g. F drive) on your computer and you can copy files over from it or just open them up as if they were on your main drive.  Secondly we can create a virtual copy of your computer on your computer or another computer to make sure the whole system works if needed.  Not bad for $10?

As we mentioned before, Cloud storage is similar and often goes hand in hand with backups.  There are a number of places, including Google that will allow you to upload files for no charge.  Other places will let you store and share certain types of files.  And if you have email hosted by these companies and have a lot of storage (e.g. Gmail will give you something like 2Gb of email) then send yourself your important files as attachments and store them in a folder on your email account.

For those students looking for places to store their school coursework etc. then look out for our blogs and next months newsletter.  This will focus on “Back to School” and one installment will be on storing and sharing those documents.

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HTML 5 – Are you making the most of it?

Wednesday, July 21st, 2010

HTMWhat? No idea what I am talking about? Should it bother you?  If you have a website for your business then the answer is a definite YES!

Without boring you unnecessarily, HTML is the language written for web browsers that display web pages.  It is pretty boring to look at (you can usually click on a web page and click View Source to see it) and you only see what the browser does with that source (that tells it the content, colors and how it is laid out).

HTML is also important for two other reasons.  First, for visually impaired people visiting your website then they don’t see the results they hear the HTML code that the browser has – so keep the source as clean as you can to make it easier for them.  Secondly, this is the stuff Google and the other search engines use to examine your content and place you in their results.  So again keep it clean to boost your ratings.

So if you have been using HTML for all these years why should you care about HTML 5?  Well it is revolutionary as far as writing websites go.  Even though most sites were using HTML4 it hadn’t changed too much over time and was not powerful enough to cope with modern websites.  For example, with old HTML if you wanted to put a box on your website so a person would put their email address in there and you sent them something, then there is no real HTML to do that and make sure they entered an email address not any old text.  So we had to rely on other measures.  Not with HTML5 we now have one!  And for Phones, and lots of other things.  And if you wanted to watch a movie, you had to install Flash, but you couldn’t in some corporations and locked down computers, and certainly not on your iPhone (we won’t bring that up again though).  With HTML 5 you can, with no plugins needed.

I hear you saying “Great! But my site works and does all that now so no need to change”.  Wrong.  And your web developer will probably tell you no too (because they haven’t learnt or understood it yet).  I bet the #1 topic about your website with your team at any point is “Search Engine Results”.  Whether it is Google, Yahoo, Bing or any of the others – you care a lot about where you are placed on the results pages.  Let me tell you that HTML 5 will boost those results, especially over non HTML 5, with a thing called Microdata.

The results of Microdata can be shown in the example below.  Please note these are made up examples and not actual real search results or links.

Without HTML5 a Google search would look similar to this (the standard results we see)

But the same page written in HTML5 with Microdata looks like this

Even if it didn’t get you a higher placement, if there were two results on a page – which would you choose to click on?  It isn’t a new language, it is enhancing your current site and taking advantage of new features available to web developers.

And if your web developer doesn’t know how to use HTML 5 or has never heard of it, don’t let them learn on your dime!  Ask them to show you real live websites they have written before they work on yours.

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Posted in Best Practices, Business, Marketing, Software, Web Design | No Comments »

Ask Holly – Fake Antivirus

Wednesday, July 14th, 2010

Dear Holly,

I have an anti  virus program on my computer but it says that I have viruses and wants me to pay again for it.  What can I do? I cannot get on the internet to ask them, just their website.

Holly says:

This is a typical request we get often.  Some people have no anti-virus, some have free ones and some have paid ones.  But they see these messages on the screen saying they have a virus and to pay $xx to have it cleaned.

This is called a Fake Antivirus.  A small program was put onto the computer and makes it look like a fake antivirus.  These programs come from infected websites (often legitimate websites and the owners are not aware they are infected).  They can bypass your real antivirus program because they do not look like a virus, do no “damage” to your computer and are made (and stored) similar to legitimate programs you use when you go to some websites.  So the antivirus will not see it as a virus.  Some antivirus programs will see the threat when you click to go through to “pay” for them, but again not all will as it is a simple website asking you to buy something online – just the same as if you bought anything else online.

If you do get one of these fake antiviruses on your computer – DO NOTHING!  Some of them will give you a message with a yes or no answer, or some people will click the X at the top right to close the window.

OFTEN ANY INTERACTION AT ALL WILL ALLOW THE PROGRAM TO SPAWN ITSELF ON YOUR PC MAKING IT WORSE!

The best course of action is to turn off your computer (you should still be able to use a normal shutdown to turn it off – as a very last resort press and hold the power button on the tower for about 10 seconds and it will shut off – this works on a laptop too).

Then take your computer to a reputable computer repair shop and have them remove the offending program.  Before you hand over your computer you should ask them a few questions such as how much will it cost, is it a fixed fee or based on time, what happens if they cannot fix it.

Here at ABC123 IT we do a fixed fee virus removal.  If you are on one of our monitoring packages that comes with anti-virus and you get a fake antivirus we remove it for free, otherwise it is a fixed cost.  We will normally fix the viruses, and have always removed the fake antiviruses.  If it is a real virus that has damaged your computer then we cannot always guarantee that the virus has not affected windows critical files. In which case a reinstall or new install would be necessary – but in our experience that happens less than 2% of the time.

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Prolong Computer Life

Wednesday, July 7th, 2010

Prolong Computer Life

At this time of year we see more problems with computer hardware, especially in Texas, due to the heat.  This article will give you some ideas on how to extend the life of your computer, protect it during this heat and also what to do if your computer does fail – it doesn’t necessarily mean you have to go and buy a new one.

Keeping your cool

The number 1 cause of most computer failures is heat.  Whether this is the processor overheating, the hard drive (the two most common causes of failure) or another component, it usually boils down to heat (excuse the pun).

Modern processors are now often two processors on one chip doing billions of operations a second all on a very thin piece of silicon.  This generates enormous amounts of heat and would literally melt in seconds if it weren’t for the cooling on them.  They are also sensitive to heat and often the cooling that comes with a computer isn’t always adequate.  Laptops are even more vulnerable as they are cramped inside a small box with little or no room for fans and vents.  And the battery in a laptop intensifies the heat (have you touched one after it has been on for an hour or so?).

To keep a desktop cool then you may want to try the following:

  • Keep it out in the open so air can circulate and get rid of the heat. We see a number of computer desks that have a small compartment to “hide” the tower inside.  But where does all the heat go?  It stays in there to heat it up.
  • Buy some extra computer fans for the case. Most cases have vents on the front and back (and some even on the sides) where you can put extra fans.  These can be purchased online or in some computer stores relatively cheaply.  They usually attach by 4 simple screws and plug into the computer power supply.  Just one or two extra fans may make all the difference.
  • Turn on the air conditioning.  Computers really like it cool. And they really do not like it when the room temperature is over 80f without some extra cooling.
  • Buy a small desk fan.  One of those small fans you can buy in most home improvement and similar stores will help a lot too.  They move the air over the computer which helps keep it cooler and more importantly moves the hot air away (and hopefully out of the room).

There really is only one way to keep a laptop cool and that is with a cooling mat (unless of course you want to have a small fan pointing at it).  These mats are available online and in most computer stores. They are a hard plastic tray with (usually) 2 fans on them.  You sit the laptop on the tray and the fans keep the underside cool.  Try and find the ones that are powered by USB instead of their own power supply so that it plugs into a USB port on the laptop.

Also it helps to keep the computer clean.  Desktops suffer from this more than laptops. Those vents in the computer (and often computers are sitting on or near the floor) collect dust and start to block up.  We recommend removing this with a vacuum cleaner (gently and the type that is either portable or has a hose attachment to do this) on a regular basis.  If the vents are blocked the air cannot escape and so the heat stays inside, no matter how many fans you have.

Keep it Running

We recommend keeping your computer running all the time, especially if you use it on a daily basis.  This is because most electronics do not like being turned on from cold.  The components are cold and suddenly get a lot of hot electricity through them, and also when you turn on an electronic device there is usually an initial power surge into the system.

However, that doesn’t mean a high electric bill and waste of electricity.  There are power saving methods in the computer to help this and still leave it on.  We recommend you look at these (some have default settings) and adjust them to your needs. For example you can set the screen to turn off after 30 minutes of no use and the hard disks after 1 hour.

Laptops have to power saving modes – one when plugged in and one when on battery to conserve even more power.

It’s Broken!

Never fear, all is not lost.  Sometimes they can be fixed and other times a new part can be ordered instead.

Firstly check whether it is in warranty. If it is then contact them, if not then get it to a reputable computer repair place.  Let them diagnose it.  Before you hand it over to them, make sure you get an estimate on how much the diagnosis will cost and then make sure they do not do any repairs until they give you another estimate and you accept it.

Once you find out what the problem is, then you will have some more options.  It may be cheap to just replace the part.  For example a 500Gb hard drive can be about $75 or so.  A new processor around $130.  And labor for these should not take more than an hour at most.

Be aware though, that it is sometimes cheaper to buy a new computer, depending on the age of the old one.  This is because technology changes so quickly and the older parts are no longer made, making them harder to find or more expensive to buy than the modern equivalent.  For example new memory is now using DDR3 (don’t worry about what it means) whereas older computers (say 4 years old) were using the old DDR (then came DDR2 and now DDR3).  So a 512Mb DDR memory is about 10 times more expensive than a 512Mb DDR3 as these are now being massed produced.

With new computers starting from as little as $300 then it may well be worth checking if it is worth fixing an old computer.  If you do buy a new computer then you may want your old files transferred to the new one.  This can be a straight transfer if the old hard drive works – even if the computer doesn’t) or recovered from backup if you have it (please back up your precious files to somewhere other than your computer – we see so many people who lost precious photographs because they were not backed up).

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Posted in Best Practices, Computers, Hardware, Technology | No Comments »

Ask Holly: Is the iPad Worth It?

Wednesday, June 2nd, 2010

Dear Holly,

I have heard all the hype about the new iPad but I don’t know if I should get one. Is it just a big iPod Touch? What is the difference between a Wi-Fi and a Wi-Fi + 3G and if I do get one, what size should I buy?

Frances.

Dear Frances,

With all the hype surrounding the iPad it seems they did forget to explain to a lot of people all the differences.

Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi + 3G

I will start by explaining the difference between the Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + 3G model. The Wi-Fi only model will allow you to connect to the internet only via a Wi-Fi connection.  For most users this is more than sufficient. Most people will be using the iPad in and around the home or office. Or they will be visiting their local cafe and other places and can use the free Wi-Fi there. If you don’t have Wi-Fi at home now, it is very inexpensive to buy a Wireless Access Point for your home network and set it up.  Some cable/DSL companies will even let you upgrade your modem for a wireless version which has the access point built in.

Wi-Fi outside the home or office is free in many places, but be aware that not all places offer it for free and so you may have to pay to use it while you are out, but there are so many places that do offer free Wi-Fi that you can find one within a mile of where you are usually.

You need the internet access to access the internet, email, iTunes and most apps you use.

Some people want to be “always connected” even when they are away from the home or travelling in the car. To do that you need to get onto a cellular data network (3G or later 4G). There are two ways to do this, either using the 3G iPad or by hopping onto another device that is already connected to the 3G network (called tethering). The iPad Wi-Fi + 3G is to the iPad Wi-Fi only what the iPhone is to the iPod Touch (without the phone calls). The iPod needs Wi-Fi and the iPhone can use the 3G AT&T data network.

The big difference is the plans with AT&T for the iPad compared to the iPhone and other smartphones. There is no contract so you do not have to sign up and pay the monthly fee as soon as you buy a 3G iPad. As soon as you want to use the 3G service you can sign up from your iPad. The prices are $14.99 for 250Mb for 30 days or $29.99 for unlimited data for 30 days (similar to a lot of smartphone data plans). Be aware that although you can cancel at any time, you have to explicitly do that otherwise you will be charged every 30 days for your chosen plan.

This is an easy way for most casual users to get on the 3G network but there is another way, especially for users on other networks such as Verizon, Sprint etc.  A number of heavy users of 3G have a data plan with their cellphone provider. I have mine with Verizon and I use the MiFi that comes with it (I know Sprint has a similar version). These devices automatically connect to their carriers 3G network and allow up to 5 users to connect to them (and therefore the internet) via the MiFi. It is about the size of a credit card and has a secure wireless access point built in. No configuration is needed just push the button to turn it on and it connects itself.

I prefer this method for a number of reasons. I can use my MiFi that I already have for work. Multiple people can hop onto my MiFi (when I give them the password) so if you are travelling, you can have the kids on their iPad/iPods, someone else on  their laptop or any wireless enabled device, all for the one low price.  And I dont have to pay the extra $130 for the 3G iPad. All that gives me much more flexibility.

And there are some apps that will only work over the WiFi network and not 3G. Using the MiFi the iPad is always connected via WiFi and so all the apps will work wherever you are so that is another reason for the MiFi over the 3G iPad, but I should point out that the iPad will automatically switch to WiFi when it can connect to it, which will save your data usage.

There is one downside for not having the 3G iPad and that is the GPS. But with most cell phones (especially Android) having GPS navigation built in I am not sure if that is going to be missed – I prefer to use my small cellphone for navigation that a 10inch handheld.

When you ask about the size, the screen is the same size 9.7 inches so I am guessing you mean the storage size.  The iPads come in three sizes currently – 16Gb, 32Gb and 64Gb and the price difference is $100 between each model. This seems a strange pricing model to me – $100 for a 16Gb increase in storage or $100 for a 32Gb increase – but that is Apple for you.

There is no built in USB port to connect extra storage and no built in SD card slot either. The camera connector kit which is extra has an SD slot which you can use to transfer pictures to the iPad but I am not aware that you can use it for extra storage for other things such as music and video or eBooks. We suspect that this is another typical Apple ploy. They will bring out iPad 2 next year and these will have the extra ports but you will have to buy a new one (just like the 1st Generation iPod Touch. I mean really???!! A music and video player with no speaker built in???).

You can sync the iPad to your computer just like the iPhone and iPod so you can control the storage used on the iPad.  But most people will be using the iPad for videos and eBooks (we wont count email and websites as they wont normally take up much storage on your iPad).  If it was just for music then an iPod will do.  So you have to work out how many books and videos you want to carry around without having to sync with your computer. And how likely are you to buy the iPad 2 when and if it comes out – probably within 2 years (but this is pure guesswork by me based on iPods and iPhones).  If you want the latest iPad2 then get the 16Gb. If you don’t want the hassle of monitoring your storage or will keep it forever then get a larger one. It really will depend on how much you think you will want to use it and only you will know that.

There are some other limitations that you should also be aware of. There are no user accounts on the iPad, just like the iPod so everything is on there and open to who has access to it.  This is not like your computer where each person can have their own private account.  Some people don’t mind this but as Apple is also touting the iPad as a great tool for businesses – then I have to point out the limitations.  I think there will be a software update at some point in time and user accounts will be available – but again this is just a guess on my behalf and I don’t know what Steve Jobs is thinking.

We won’t go into the Flash debate or any of those.  They will play out over time and everyone will settle down again and carry on as normal.

Some of the things I do like about the iPad is the fact that it IS an oversized iPod touch.  A nice large screen, HD (720p) video, all the same apps and workings of the iPod Touch.  If you are an owner of a Touch or iPhone then you will be familiar with most of the workings of the iPad within seconds and if not, then it really won’t take long – that is one thing Apple excels at – easy to use intuitive user interface.

I hope that answered your question Frances. Would I buy one? Not just yet. I have my iPod Touch 1st Generation and got burnt by the lack of speaker and paying for software upgrades. I love my Droid cellphone on Verizon and it does most of what I need, and the Touch does the rest.  I would like an iPad, but I will wait until they upgrade the hardware with USB support and possibly SD support and then I will buy an iPad2.0.  But until then I am happy with what I have.  But if you don’t have an iPod or iPhone or want something for the kids then I would consider it.  But I hope I have given you enough information to make up your own mind.

Holly

Holly is one of ABC123 IT’s top technology experts. She often visits customers sites to help out with their network. You can ask her anything and she will try to answer all your questions. One question will feature in our newsletter each month.

Edit By Holly:  Of course as I published this today AT&T announced they are dropping the unlimited 3G plan for $29.95 and going for a 2Gb plan for $25 with a $10 for each additional Gb used.  The good news is for those already on the unlimited plan you can stay on it, but this really proves my point of the WiFi plus the MiFi from Verizon Wireless is a better option.  2Gb is woefully inadequate for an iPad – when you look at streaming netflix etc. when travelling.

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Posted in Best Practices, Hardware, Technology, apple | 2 Comments »

Atlantic Hurricane Season Gears Up

Wednesday, June 2nd, 2010

Windows being boarded up. Supplies selling out at hardware and grocery stores. Interstates and back roads packed with cars.

That’s what happens when people hear a dangerous tropical storm is forming in the Atlantic, endangering the eastern or gulf shores of the United States.

While hurricanes may hit at any time, certain times of the year generate the most storms. June 1 issues in the beginning of the 2010 hurricane season in the Atlantic Ocean.

The season of 2009 was a mild one for the United States. Only Hurricane Ida and Tropical Storm Claudette came ashore.

The year 2010 could be very different. Early predictions are that more hurricanes and tropical storms will come ashore.

The position of El Nino, a climatic fluctuation, is important in these determinations. El Nino produces warm Pacific waters and upper wind levels that do not favor hurricane formation. El Nino’s position off the coast of South America cooled waters in the Atlantic in 2009 which also inhibited hurricanes.

The current El Nino is expected to dissipate by the 2010 season, possibly causing the waters of the Atlantic to warm, which would increase the possibility of storms.

Scientists from the Colorado State University’s Tropical Meteorology Project, in an early forecast, have indicated a warm sea surface in the North Atlantic during 2010. It’s not good news.

Due to improved tracking of storms and their projected paths, the U.S. National Hurricane Center will be able to announce storm watches and warnings 12 hours earlier than last year. This will give residents in coastal areas more time to evacuate.

Remember that if a hurricane is forecast and you are asked to evacuate, leaving the area is the only safe plan.

Are you prepared?

Many businesses are not.

Everyone thinks it cannot happen to them. But recent years have shown just how quickly things can change.

Look at Nashville under many feet of water, all the tornadoes appearing lately, or Galveston and New Orleans in recent years. It couldn’t happen to them either, could it?

What will happen if one of these disasters hits your areas and your critical data is lost? Can you recover? Is it backed up, and offsite? And how quickly can you recover.

Did you know that over 60% of businesses that lose their critical data never recover and close within 6 months?

Do you test your backups? Most of the companies we come across don’t test them until they need them, only to find it is too late and they don’t work.

On June 1st we are launching our newest and ultimate Backup and Disaster Recovery Service – “Sentinel” and we are holding a live webinar on June 4th to show you how Sentinel is the ultimate protection for your business. Seats for this webinar are limited so hurry and reserve your free seat by visiting our website at www.keepmynetworkrunning.com

This webinar will not be recorded and there will be some “never to be repeated” offers made, so this is one webinar you do not want to miss!  Click here to register for this webinar now!

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Posted in Backups and Disaster Recovery, Best Practices, Business, Technology | 1 Comment »

More Talk, Less Cost for This Local Real Estate Office!

Tuesday, June 1st, 2010
Remax Texas Heritage Logo

Remax Texas Heritage

RE/MAX Texas Heritage, in Bryan/College Station, recently upgraded their office telephone system with our help.

Their old system was a proprietary digital based system using analogue telephone lines (you know – the type you get from Verizon or AT&T that date back to Alexander Graham Bell) and special phones, all of which increased the cost of the system and increasing the number of lines or handsets when needed.

This old system was also limited by its storage, especially voicemails, and configuration of different routes.

John Byers and Brady Brittain, the two new owners of RE/MAX Texas Heritage, came to us to help solve their problem.

“We did not want to be restricted in what we could do with the new system now and in the future” said Brady.

John also had the vision of having their Agents be able to work from anywhere and still have access to the resources in the office. “I want to be able to allow our agents to be ‘Virtual Agents’ and work from anywhere where they can be connected to the office” he said.

The Solution

Given those requirements and the directive to also “cut costs” we looked at the old system and realized it was more cost effective to totally replace it.

Their new system was a Windows based IP PBX system, Cisco IP handsets, softphones for virtual agents and when mobile and Voice Over IP (VOIP) based telephone lines.

Under FCC regulations anyone is allowed to port their existing numbers from their old carrier to a new carrier, and our process makes it very simple – just a signed Local Number Port (LNP) authorization (a 1 page document) and a copy of the front page of your last bill, and we take care of the rest.

VOIP brings major cost savings to businesses like RE/MAX Texas Heritage. When switched over to VOIP most of our customers save in the region of 80% on their monthly bills!

How is this possible?

Well unlike a traditional phone line where one call means 1 physical wire, VOIP comes over your internet connection. Just as many users can view many web based applications at the same time over 1 internet connection, you can receive many VOIP calls at the same time over 1 internet connection.

As you don’t have to add physical wires each time then you won’t incur those extra monthly costs.

Also as no physical wires are involved you can have as many numbers as you want for little extra cost.

RE/MAX Texas Heritage can take 8 concurrent external calls on their system but has around 30 phone numbers – we will explain why in a minute.

Phone numbers (also known as DID’s) are $1 per month. And the VOIP lines start at $12.75 per month.  Compare that with analogue lines which average $50+ per month per line.  30 numbers would have cost them around $1,500 before they make a call! Compared to the (approximately) $200 per month they currently pay with VOIP, the savings soon add up.

Most of our customers also remark how “clear the line is compared to the old one” when we switch them over to VOIP, in the same way that CD’s and MP3’s are clearer than the old vinyl and tapes (remember those?) for music.

Additional Features

In addition to the cheaper, clearer calls, RE/MAX Texas Heritage was also able to make use of all the additional features that comes with the IP PBX.

They now have an unlimited amount of extensions, so they can add or remove extensions at any time. This is especially useful for setting up “dummy” extensions to be able to have more control over an incoming call and then forwarding it based on some rules you have (such as to a cell phone) without having to buy a physical phone.

There is also unlimited voicemail storage. As the PBX is Windows based (RE/MAX has theirs on a Windows 7 PC) then all storage is on a hard disk.  It is very easy and inexpensive to upgrade that disk or add a new one.

As it is Windows based, voicemail is an audio file which can be listened to on the phone, via a web browser or even emailed to the email address associated with the extension. This is great for RE/MAX Texas Heritage Agents, who can now get their voicemail as soon as a message is left, especially when not in the office.  Even on their cell phone!

The PBX also has a built in fax server. This receives a fax and converts it to a PDF and emails it to the extension’s email address. This is why RE/MAX Texas Heritage has those extra numbers and how they are the only Real Estate office in the area with “Virtual Agents”. Every agent has their own personal fax number – essential when dealing with contracts, offers and inspections all day – which has been configured by John and Brady to forward to their email address.

RE/MAX Texas Heritage also made use of the many different configurations of Digital Assistants, Ring Groups, Queues and dummy extensions that are available in their PBX system, not only for their Agents & Customers, but also for their Property Management side of the business. To provide the best emergency maintenance services (e.g. plumber) to the tenants of the properties they manage, the system will now route the tenant through to the correct maintenance person no matter what time of night it is so the emergency is dealt with immediately, without having to leave a message or call another number.

“We believe we are the only property management company in the area that offers this immediate ‘after-hours-direct-to-maintenance-contractor’ service” said John. “In situations when there is a water leak, or no electricity for the A/C with children in the house, time is critical for our tenants and this service saves valuable time”.

If you would like to read more about how RE/MAX Texas Heritage saved money and increased productivity through their new system then download our free eBook here. For more information on RE/MAX Texas Heritage or if you are looking to buy, sell or rent a property, call them on 979-846-4500. For more information on VOIP systems, call us on 979-985-5301 or visit our main site here

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Posted in Best Practices, Business, Hardware, Software, Technology, VOIP | No Comments »

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